Rule Book on Environmental Label

STATE DIRECTORATE FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATURE AND ENVIRONMENT  *

On the basis of Article 43, paragraph 2 of the Law on Environmental Protection (Official Gazette No. 82/94) the director of the State Directorate for the Protection of Nature and Environment is passing the

RULE BOOK
ON ENVIRONMENTAL LABEL

Article 1

 The present Rule Book lays down the requirements and the procedure for obtaining the Environmental Label, the way in which it is awarded, the design and use of the Environmental Label, the composition and functioning of the jury, the participation of institutions, societies, associations and individuals involved in the process of awarding the Environmental Label, and penalty clauses related to  enforcement of the provisions of the present Rule Book.

Article 2

 The Environmental Label is awarded to manufacturers of consumer goods except foodstuffs, beverages and pharmaceutical products, for:

• products which, in the course of their production, putting on the market and/or use and handling after use when they have turned into waste, endanger the environment to a considerably lower extent than other equivalent or related products,
• products which can be re-used several times,
• products containing replaceable parts,
• products the use of which reduces harmful emissions to the environment,
• products for the manufacture of which natural resources are used reasonably.

Article 3

The Environmental Label must not be awarded to manufacturers of products containing hazardous substances.
The Environmental Label may exceptionally be awarded  to manufacturers of products containing hazardous substances if, according to regulations, the concentrations of hazardous substances pose no threat to the environment.

Article 4

The manufacturer is to submit  the application for the award of the Environmental Label (hereinafter referred to as: the application) in writing.

 The application shall contain:

• the manufacturer's name/title and address,
• the name of the product for which the award of the Environmental Label  is requested,
• reasons and data that are the basis for the award of the Environmental Label.

Article 5

The decision on the award of the Environmental Label will be taken by the jury for the award of the Environmental Label (hereinafter referred to as: the Jury).

Article 6

 The Jury consists of five members.
 The term of office of the Jury members will be two years.
 The Jury members will be appointed by the director from among the representatives of:

• the State Directorate for the Protection of Nature and Environment,
• the State Bureau for Standardization and Metrology,
• industry, trade or consumers which are expert in environmental protection,
• non-governmental associations for environment.

Article 7

The chairperson of the Jury and his/her substitute will be appointed by the director.
Administrative and technical activities required for the work of the Jury will be carried out by the State Directorate for the Protection of Nature and Environment.

Article 8

The Jury will work and make decisions in sessions.
The members of the Jury will make decisions on the award of the Environmental Label by open vote.
The decisions of the Jury will be valid if made by the majority of the members.
The member of the Jury who will disagree with the decision made by the Jury may require that his isolated opinion and explanation be recorded in the minutes of meeting.
At Jury sessions the minutes of meeting are to be taken.
The Jury has to enact the relevant rules of procedure.

Article 9

In case that the application does not contain all the data as stated in Article 4, paragraph 2 of the present Rule Book, the Jury may request the manufacturer to complete the same within eight days after receipt of the application.

Article 10

During procedure for the award of the Environmental Label the Jury may require from one or more expert institutions to deliver their expert opinion.
The expert opinion on the compliance of the product with requirements set for the award of the Environmental Label shall be prepared on the basis of the environmental impact assessment of the product at all stages of its manufacture, use and disposal.
When making the decision on the award of the Environmental Label the Jury has to take into consideration the environmental impact of the product at all stages of its manufacture, use and disposal and of the expert opinion, if requested.

Article 11

The Jury may require from the manufacturer to submit additional data if necessary for making the decision on the award of the Environmental Label.

Article 12

Should a manufacturer consider a certain information on the product a business secret, he may, stating the grounds, require it to be available to the Jury and the expert institution only.
Considering the statement of the grounds under paragraph 1 of this Article the Jury will decide whether it is possible to follow the request and will notify the manufacturer correspondingly.
The Jury and the expert institution are responsible for keeping the business secret made available to them during the procedure for the award of the Environmental Label.

Article 13

The decision on the award of the Environmental Label is to be accompanied by an explanation in writing.

Article 14

The Environmental Label may be awarded for a term of three years at the longest.

Article 15

The Environmental Label consists of two concentric circles. The smallest diameter of the circle is 15 mm. The inner circle bears a stylized drawing of a bird and a fish.
The space between the circles in the upper section bears the inscription 'Environmentally friendly'. In the lower section the text prepared by the Jury states the reasons for the award of the Environmental Label.
The stylized drawing of a bird and a fish will be printed on the monochrome background.
The graphic presentation of the Environmental Label is printed in Appendix 1 to the present Rule Book.

Article 16

The Environmental Label may only be printed on the packaging of the product to which it has been awarded.
The Environmental Label may only be applied for the promotion of the product to which it has been awarded.

Article 17

The Environmental Label awarded once will not exclude the right to apply again for the award of the same.

Article 18

During the use of the Environmental Label the Jury may check whether the product to which the Environmental Label has been awarded still meets the requirements that formed the basis for the award of the Environmental Label.

Article 19

Should within the period for which the Environmental Label has been awarded the product to which it has been awarded cease to meet the requirements that form the basis for the award, the Jury will make the decision to withdraw the Environmental Label.

Article 20

The decision on the withdrawal of the Environmental Label will be made by the Jury under the procedure set out for the award of the Environmental Label.

Article 21

The Jury shall inform the general public of the award and withdrawal of the Environmental Label through mass media.

Article 22

Legal persons will be punished for the offence with the amount of 5,000 to 15,000 kunas, in case that the Environmental Label is used for promotional purposes on products to which it has not been awarded (Article 16, paragraph 2).
For the offence as referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article the responsible person within the legal person will be punished with the amount of 2,000 to 4,000 kunas.

Article 23

 The present Rule Book shall enter into force on the eighth day following its publication in the Official Gazette.

Class:  351-04/96-01/05
Reg.No.: 542-03-96-3
Zagreb, 15 July 1996

Appendix 1
GRAPHIC PRESENTATION OF
THE ENVIRONMENTAL LABEL

DIRECTOR 
Ante Kutle, M.D.

* The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Physical Planning was constituted by virtue of the Law on Amendments to the Law on Structure and Competence of Ministries and State Government Organisations (Official gazette #15/2000), which came into force on February 5, 2000.
The newly established Ministry of Environmental Protection and Physical Planning took over the tasks and responsibilities of the former Ministry of Zoning, Construction and Housing in the section related to physical planning, site-permits, building permits and operation permits, urban planning and building inspection, and the corresponding legal and administrative matters, as well as the tasks and responsibilities of the former State Directorate for the Protection of Nature and Environment.